Into White Water
by british-bossy
Summary: The Doctor takes Clara to a beach. Whouffaldi-Oneshot. Based on a dream I had a few weeks ago. "Even though the cold had numbed his skin he felt it burn with life as he touched her lips. She was still panting, laying beneath him, her warm breath stroking his fingers."


_Into White Water_

„A salt beach?" Clara raised an eyebrow. „Doesn't sound very amazing".

The Doctor didn't turn to face her and kept working on the console of his beloved ship. „Human issue: predjudice", he said. „How do you know it's not amazing if you've never been there?".

From the corner of his eye he could suddenly see her appearing next to him, leaning against the console and staring at him, her arms folded.

He just realized his mistake when she spoke.

„You are one to talk about predjudice, what about your problem with soldiers, then?".

He rolled his eyes and turned away. Why did she always had to mention bloody P.E.?

As if he wasn't listening he walked up the stairs to his bookshelves while the TARDIS started to make her familiar sound of taking off.

„I told you", he murmered, keeping his eyes fixed on any book he'd just pulled out. „No talking about Dave in the TARDIS anymore."

Clara followed him up the stairs and all of a sudden graped the book from his hands.

„Clara-"

But she cut him off. As usual.

„One: his name is Danny! Two: you are perfectly aware of that! And three: you started the predjudice subject!"

The Doctor sighed. He was already about to turn from her again. Was he running from something? Always but not from her, never from his impossible girl!

Of course, he knew the bloody soldier's name. Pink. Which besides was primary a colour instead of a name! In the past few weeks he had found himself wondering if Clara would take this name if they were to marry (in the worst case). Clara Pink. That just sounded ridicilous! He shook his head as if to free his mind from that terrible thought and looked at her again. Her cheeks had lightly flushed, quite pink actually. He couldn't help but clench his jaw. She was here. She was with him. Not with the soldier.

„Right, change it then", he said and walked back down to the console. Clara stood on the stairs. „Change what, Doctor?"

„The subject of course! Salt beach!"

At that she smiled. He turned his back on her, ignoring the warm feeling that spread inside his stomach.

„You'll see, it's older than Mars!" the Doctor walked towards the door, looking back at Clara.

„So, any living forms on it, then?", she wondered and stood next to him, leaning against the doors.

„Not when I came here last time", he answered. „When was that?"

„About 100.000.000 years ago". He put on the most insecure and innocent face he was capable of and she shook her head. „Could it be that you never came back here because you found it so unbelievebly boring that you'd find billions of other places where to go..."

He cut her off, flung the doors open and pushed her outside. „Shut up and watch!"

They stepped outside the TARDIS and found themselves on a giant mountain of salt. Walking to the edge, they looked down into the dark blue (TARDIS blue) water with sharp rocks of salt sticking out. „It's blue!", Clara exclaimed, her eyes wide.

„You're stating the obvious, again", the Doctor tried his best to sound annoyed while it took him much effort not to stare at her face. The way her expression changed when she saw wonders. The way her eyes brightened, her lips curled into a smile and her dimples appeared. He loved it.

„Why is it blue?", she asked when they'd climbed down a few steps.

„Enigmatic rocks of salt in reaction to the kalthm-acid".

„Sorry, what acid?"

„Forget it."

„So, if it's acid, we shouldn't touch it, right?" The Doctor didn't look at her when he leant forward. „It won't burn you, in case you're wondering", he stated. „But it will pull you to the ground, it's much stronger than the oxygen in your lungs." Clara reached out and grabbed his arm for hold as they climbed lower. „It will drown us, then".

„Yes, so no swimming today. A shame, really. Would have loved to see you in-", he broke up.

„See me in what, exactly?", she asked and looked slightly shocked. They stood in front of each other now, her back towards the gorge.

„Nothing. No, not nothing, of course, I mean,...no, no, forget it!" With that, he wanted to walk on, but she still held his arm and pulled him back firmly and she suddenly swayed.

The salt beneath their feet seemed to sink and Clara held on to him in a rush. „Doctor...", she began. „Don't move", he said as he tried to fish the sonic screwdriver out of his jacket pocket. „Not one muscle", he went on and moved himself as slowly as he could. „The more you move, the more we will sink. And don't look down".

„Why-", before she could stop herself Clara looked down and sucked in breath when she saw the salt slowly disappearing beneath her feet. In her fear, she didn't look up at the Doctor when she said: „Let me go".

„Never", he breathed and grabbed both of her arms in return. He knew that she was trying to protect him but he would not let her drown. She had died twice before. He would not lose her, again. Never again. „Doctor, please", she said and her voice was shaking. „There is no point in drowning us both, let go!"

„No!", he exclaimed and caused her to look at him in surprise. They kept their gazes locked and their arms around each other when the salt crumbled and they fell into the deep.

It was the most horrible yet delicate feeling. To fall. To look into her brown eyes and not to find one single thought he could name in that moment. They were vanishing.

The next thing he knew was that they hit the water and were swallowed by cold waves. The cold bit into his skin, reaching to the bones, freezing his blood. The Doctor didn't see anything but he felt Clara slip away from him. In panic, he tried to hold on but couldn't get his fingers to work. He wanted to move, to swim, to struggle but found himself motionless. His eyes were about to close against the darkness and surrender completely when suddenly a green light flashed before them. It was warm and safe and it was right in front of him.

The Doctor didn't know how he'd got his screwdriver but he had. In a flash, the water turned warm and white. It looked like milk actually and he felt his body rise. The air filled his lungs and he breathed deeply for the first time, he'd regenerated. He was a timelord, he didn't need oxygen to survive. But it was a wonderful feeling to breathe freely. Looking around, he saw his companion, treiben on the white surface, her eyes closed. He swam over to her and pulled her into his arms. He scanned her quickly and studied her face. She was unconscious but her breath was normal. It was time to get her to the shore. It took all his strength to keep her over the water and not to drown himself for the waves had not slowed down. The water was getting cold again and he couldn't risk to lose his consciousness as well. Clara needed him, he had to save her. Amain, he got them on an even narrow band of salt and lay down next to her on his stomach. But he propped himself back up immediately, checking her breathing and scanning her again. She was soaking wet, both of them were, her eye-make-up completely ruined, her hair clinging to her head. Her eye lids flattered, she was panting and he could tell that she was slowly regaining consciousness. He let his hand come up and stroke the side of her face, watching her. Clara's eyes were still closed when she leant into his touch and sighed deeply. Watching her doing so he couldn't help himself any longer. He leant forward and pressed his lips to her forehead, murmering: „Clara, my Clara". When he pulled back after a few minutes not willing to end their closeness, she looked up at him. There were still drops of water on her face and he wanted to brush them away. Carefully, he let his thumb brush over her nose, her eyebrows, her cheekbones. Even though the cold had numbed his skin he felt it burn with life as he touched her lips. She was still panting, laying beneath him, her warm breath stroking his fingers.

And suddenly he was kissing her right cheek and then her left cheek, and then he leant in and kissed her lips. Softly at first and very carefully. The Doctor didn't know what had brought him to do so but for some reason, he couldn't stop. He pulled back briefly and saw her looking back at him but her eyes were not wide or shocked. His dear Clara gave him the most gentle look he'd ever received. He would've almost gone so far to say that he could see love in it. Closing his eyes, he kissed her again, less chastely this time and more deeply than before. She responded and reached up to place her hand on the back of his neck. She tasted like salt and fever and winter. Her skin was shockingly cold but he felt himself burn with so much desire that he didn't care. „Doctor", she breathed beneath him and every logical thought in his mind slipped away. His name. She'd said his name and not the one that was supposed to be a colour. A part of him could not believe that he'd finally done it. He'd finally kissed Clara and she was actually kissing him back. She moaned when the kiss turned hungrier and wilder, each of them fighting for control. He felt her fingers carding through his wet hair and pulled her closer into his arms. She felt so cold against him that he feared she might freeze out here. When he let her come up for air, she smiled at him. „Out of breath?", she asked even though she was catching her own. „Slightly", he said. „Let's get you inside the TARDIS. You feel like a northdwarf".

„A what?"

„Nothing." The Doctor smiled and lifted her up in his arms.


End file.
